Home Cinema (4544)

Brits freed from fixed TV schedule

Almost half of us controlling what we watch and when

19 August 2008 17:50 GMT / By Katie Scott

Microsoft Connected TV group commissioned a survey to found out exactly how many of us are taking advantage of the abilities on offer to pause, rewind and record TV.

A survey of 2000 UK digital TV viewers found that almost half (48%) of those quizzed say they now control what they watch and when they watch it using digital video recording (DVR).

And the reasons we cited?

To avoid scheduling conflicts but also gives you more time with your family (if that's what you want), and also respondents also said that there were now fewer arguments about what to watch.

But the survey also found that one in three digital TV viewers (31%) continue to organise their lives around what’s on TV; including a hardcore one in eight (12%) who would even turn down a night out if it clashed with a favourite programme.

And there will be no surprises for you in learning that the biggest TV addicts are 16-24-year-olds, with 42% saying they organise their lives around the schedule and almost one in three (31%) saying they would choose to stay in or go home early if there was something on TV they wanted to watch.

"Young adults are still unwilling to change their schedules to catch their favourite shows live so that they can talk about them with their friends right away."

"For the rest of us life is too hectic and we value being able to catch-up and watch our favourite shows at a more convenient time", says Christine Heckart, general manager, marketing, Connected TV Business Group, Microsoft.

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Home Cinema, Video on demand, Set top boxes, Microsoft, IPTV